WYDDIAL (or WIDIALL) is a parish in Edwinstree
hundred, Buntingford Union, Royston county court district, rural deanery of
Buntingford and archdeaconry and diocese of St Albans. The village, which is
small and inconsiderable, is 1½ miles north-east of Buntingford, which town is
partly within the parish and 7½ south from Royston. The church of St Giles is
an ancient structure, consisting of chancel, nave and north aisle, south porch
and a western embattled tower, with spire, containing 4 bells, the first dated
1866 and the tenor 1666, the second has an invocatory inscription to St
Katherine and the third is undated; in 1867 Mrs Ellis caused all the bells to be
re-hung and gave the clock in the tower: there are several stained windows,
including two in the aisle apparently by a Dutch or Flemish artist of the 17th
century and some monuments and brasses to the Gulston, Gyll and Ellis families;
in the north wall of the chancel is a brass with effigy and inscription to Dame
Margaret, daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Nevyll kt. brother to Lord Abergavenny
and wife of Sir Robert Southwell kt. Master of the Rolls, who died 1575; there
are also brasses of the Gyll family 1535-1600. The register of baptisms dates
from 1666; burials from 1669. The living is a rectory, yearly value £326, with
residence, in the gift of the trustees of Charles Heaton Ellis esq. and held by
the Rev Charles Maxwell B.A. of Balliol College, Oxford. Wyddial Park is a
considerable domain close to the village belonging to Heaton Ellis, who is lord
of the manor. The principal landowners are the trustees of Chas. Heaton Ellis,
William Butt esq. and Kings College, Cambridge. The chief crops are wheat and
barley. The area is 1,187 acres, rateable value £1,904; and the population in
1881 was 202.

Parish Clerk, John Searle.

Letters through Buntingford, which is the
nearest money order office. There is a letter box in the village, cleared at
6.30 pm week days only.

The 1902 Kelly's
directory for Hertfordshire listed only one farmer in Wyddial, who was
Charles Jackson of Home Farm

Wyddial (6 miles N.) includes
Corneybury, the picturesque 17th century manor house of Buntingford; also Wyddial Hall which was built
200 years ago on 16th century foundations. The pretty village of thatched cottages has an ancient church with a brick-built north chapel
added in 1632. The Jacobean screens to the Goulston chapel are notable; also some good brasses and medieval Flemish glass.